Motivating the public to be more active.How many people do you know who don't exercise? People who do almost nothing at all for fitness? Truly inactive people? At first, I thought I knew several people like this; then I looked up the word "inactive." In its truest sense, the word means "not active or moving; idle, sluggish; not functioning." On second thought, I had to dig deep to come up with one person that fit the dictionary definition. And after taking a closer look at the lifestyles I once considered inactive, I noticed a great deal of motion and activity. An activity is a "normal function of the body and mind; causing motion and change." As my eyes opened, I noticed that all of those inactive people were doing art projects that required manual dexterity; playing darts darts Indoor target game. It is played by throwing feathered darts at a circular board with numbered spaces. The board, usually made of cork, bristle, or elmwood, is divided into 20 sectors valued at points from 1 to 20. that required eye-hand coordination; walking the dog; gardening; and doing yard work and daily chores. Their normal daily activities are not necessarily strenuous stren·u·ous adj. 1. Requiring great effort, energy, or exertion: a strenuous task. 2. Vigorously active; energetic or zealous. , fitness-related workouts, but they provide enough motion to improve circulation and mobility, and provide personal satisfaction. They ARE active; they just don't exercise according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the old paradigms and specially formulated guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. . Regimented guidelines serve an important purpose once exercise regularity is established. But, an effective way to introduce exercise to those who don't do it is to start by changing their image of fitness. Change the Image of Fitness: A Realistic God Look at the images of exercise in national print advertising and on television. Why doesn't it look fun? It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to lighten up Lighten up Selling some part of a stock or bond position in a portfolio to realize capital gains or to losses or increase cash assets. lighten up on the same old regimented routines and change the dated image of fitness. Let's say that acquiring fitness IS fun and that it's okay NOT to break a sweat. Let's develop an image that defines exercise as: any activity that requires motion and change for the sake of better health. We need to address images associated with the process of fitness. Words like "leisure"and "play" bring about positive, non-threatening images of having fun. Terms like "working out," "conditioning" and "aerobics aerobics (ârō`biks), [Gr.,=with oxygen], system of endurance exercises that promote cardiovascular fitness by producing and sustaining an elevated heart rate for a prolonged period of time, thereby pumping an increased amount of oxygen-rich " create the belief (especially to people who are sedentary sedentary /sed·en·tary/ (sed´en-tar?e) 1. sitting habitually; of inactive habits. 2. pertaining to a sitting posture. sedentary of inactive habits; pertaining to a fat, castrated or confined animal. or have physical limitations) that acquiring fitness is strenuous and not enjoyable. Do workouts have to be physically strenuous to be effective? What if we designed fitness programming with the focus of simply improving circulation, or enhancing body balance or becoming more physically adaptable? Any activity requiring movement brings about a physiological change, a deviation from the norm that requires the body's constant adaptation and adjustment. These workouts don't necessarily require strenuous exertion exertion, n vigorous action, a great effort, a strong influence. , but they are effective exercise programming ideas that require the two key elements: motion and change. The goal of changing current habits will be reached when we develop wellness programming based on a new image of fitness that reflects good health, mobility and fun. Asking someone to participate in enjoyable, un-intimidating leisure and play activities is more applicable than telling that individual to get cardiovascular exercise cardiovascular exercise Sports medicine Any vigorous aerobic exercise, which near-maxes the heart rate–eg, basketball, bicycling, cross-country skiing, dancing, hiking, jogging, race-walking, racquetball, running, skating, soccer, stair-climbing, volleyball. three times a week for 20 minutes a day. Below are some programming ideas to provoke thought and creativity if you are committed to helping those active folks become fit. Conditioning the Nervous System All bodily functions Bodily Functions See also body, human. deglutition the process or act of swallowing. desquamation the shedding of the superficial epithelium, as of skin, the mucous membranes, etc. , including physical movements, are dependent upon impulses from the nervous system. The body innately processes physical, mental and environmental cues to elicit e·lic·it tr.v. e·lic·it·ed, e·lic·it·ing, e·lic·its 1. a. To bring or draw out (something latent); educe. b. To arrive at (a truth, for example) by logic. 2. reactions for functional movement. These cues, originating in the nervous system, tell about the body's existing ability to perform. By becoming aware of them, the participant will develop body awareness body awareness, n the felt sense of embodiment; consciousness of our somatic feelings. alternative medicine… . By challenging the body's existing reactive abilities, the participant will develop better balance. Balance and body awareness are the prerequisites for moving whether it is in a favorite sport or during daily chores. A nervous system workout Workout Informal repayment or loan forgiveness arrangement between a borrower and creditors. workout 1. The process of a debtor's meeting a loan commitment by satisfying altered repayment terms. provides a no-sweat, non-strenuous option to improve balance and body awareness. Developing the nervous system through these two factors can be a simple four-step process. Step 1 Teach Proper Posture Posture is vital to balance and body awareness. Precise movements depend on how you perceive your body position statically (at rest) or dynamically (while moving). The first set of physical cues come from posture check See host posture check. . Application--Postural Assessment for Posture Checks * Feet a comfortable distance apart; legs slightly flexed at the knees and ankles * Hips aligned over ankles * Abdominals pulled in tight * Shoulders aligned over the hips, allowing for the natural curve of the spine * Ears aligned over shoulders with head up and eyes looking forward Step 2 Develop Awareness About Balance Balance is the body's ability to maintain equilibrium. There is balance in every movement from reaching up to a cupboard, to step classes to playing sports. The second set of physical cues comes from your body's balance centers. Education about and perception of the balance centers and how these centers affect movement is a strong focus of a nervous system workout: * Visual perception--eyes * Vestibular/auditory system--inner ear * Kinesthetic kin·es·the·sia n. The sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints. [Greek k awareness--proprioception in the joints, connective connective - An operator used in logic to combine two logical formulas. See first order logic. tissues, soles of feet and hands * The relationship of the center of mass (hips) over the base of support (stance) affects the accuracy of all movements * Weight transfer--all locomotor lo·co·mo·tor or lo·co·mo·tive adj. Of or relating to movement from one place to another. locomotor of or pertaining to locomotion. movements involve transferring weight from one foot to another. Application--Balance Tests Following are some simple tasks to test balancing ability. When you lose balance, don't give up "Don't Give Up" may refer to the following four songs:
1. Stand on one foot with your eyes open. Shift your focus in all different directions, then into the horizon. Make a note of your head and neck position when balance is best. Recalling this posture to enhance movements. Try it on the other side. 2. Sitting and standing are natural actions we often take for granted. From a standing position, close your eyes and sit in a chair, stand up and sit down again. 3. How many steps can you take in a straight line, one foot in front of the other, with a book on your head. Note head and neck position when balance is best. 4. Walk up a flight of stairs Noun 1. flight of stairs - a stairway (set of steps) between one floor or landing and the next flight of steps, flight staircase, stairway - a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps quickly with your eyes closed. Then walk down backwards with your eyes open. Most people tend to break forward at the waist when backing down. Do a posture check. 5. Balance on one foot with eyes open. Using a stimulus (whistle, verbal or auditory auditory /au·di·to·ry/ (aw´di-tor?e) 1. aural or otic; pertaining to the ear. 2. pertaining to hearing. au·di·to·ry adj. cue), signal an un-weighted rotational direction change and recover balance for 10 seconds. Do it on both legs. Step 3 Challenge Balance * Play--Kids work out at least 20 minutes a day and don't even know it's exercise. Their journeys into adulthood are based on intrinsic experiences developed through movement, play and recreating. They have a hard time being inactive because innately, their bodies thrive on the stimuli associated with movement to grow. Inactive adults could reap the same intrinsic benefits produced by play. An effective adult play fitness experience is one where there is a personal satisfaction-- stimulation from the environment, participation instead of being a spectator, the Spectator, The Daily periodical published in London by Richard Steele and Joseph Addison from March 1, 1711, to Dec. 6, 1712, and revived by Addison in 1714 (for 80 issues). It succeeded The Tatler, launched by Steele in 1709. expression of doing it, mastering a new skill, and physical and emotional well-being before and after doing it. Acquiring a play mentality is the avenue to being spontaneous and temporarily free from pressures of daily living. Play is also one of the most effective ways to develop lifelong exercise habits because when you are having fun, you forget you are working out. * Reasonable Risks--Imagine what life would be like without taking any risks? Reasonable risk-taking in a controlled and safe environment boosts self-esteem and builds confidence to try new activities. It's your job to teach participants that it can be exciting when the outcome is uncertain, because your body has to be spontaneous and reactive calling upon all physical cues. * Task Training--Teach tasks, instead of exercises. Tasks challenge balance by conditioning the nervous system for quicker reactions. As a side benefit, also enhancing cardiovascular and circulatory circulatory /cir·cu·la·to·ry/ (ser´ku-lah-tor?e) 1. pertaining to circulation, particularly that of the blood. 2. containing blood. cir·cu·la·to·ry n. 1. functions. Usually eliciting small instead of large physical movements, tasks can be slow and calculated requiring concentration more than physical energy. They can require quickness, coordination and visual acuity visual acuity n. Sharpness of vision, especially as tested with a Snellen chart. Normal visual acuity based on the Snellen chart is 20/20. Visual acuity The ability to distinguish details and shapes of objects. . Design tasks to slightly change or explore the safe limits of what is considered normal range of motion. Everyone tries the tasks at their own pace. Working out is more fun because there is no burn and no pressure to keep up. There is always a modification to simplify or intensify in·ten·si·fy v. in·ten·si·fied, in·ten·si·fy·ing, in·ten·si·fies v.tr. 1. To make intense or more intense: them and all tasks are optional. These tasks become comfortable risks adding excitement to the day and building character and confidence. Following are task suggestions for indoors or outdoors: * Agility--quick footwork for direction changes; adaptability in quickly changing situations * Coordination--coordination simultaneous movements of the upper and lower body * Visual Acuity--Enhancing range of vision in all directions * Strength for Support--Single-leg strength during weight transfer * Static Balance--Balancing efforts while standing still * Dynamic Balance--Balancing while moving or on unstable footing * Functional Arms--For support, momentum or balance Staying Inside Getting inactive people to leave their homes to join a health club is going to be tough. These are people who live to serve their families or those who work so much, that family time is extremely valuable. Deliberate, organized or scheduled group activities away from the home and family fare low on the priority list. Design activities that are informal, inexpensive, include family, and can be done at home. Application--We can look at everyday chores to derive physical benefits, turning them into exercises to improve quality of life. For example, during a simple task like watering the flowers, do a postural assessment. When walking upstairs, take physical note of how stable weight transfer feels. Do easy balance tasks while cooking dinner. We really don't think about how to do it because it is habitual Regular or customary; usual. A habitual drunkard, for example, is an individual who regularly becomes intoxicated as opposed to a person who drinks infrequently. . To develop body awareness, change the habit. Brush with the left hand instead of the right. Put the right shoe on first instead of the left. Getting Outside The outdoors provides space to walk, run and play, a place for mental and physical self-discovery. Experiences of walking along a seashore or taking a nature hike to the top of a picturesque picturesque, term used in 18th-century England to refer to a landscape that looked as if it had come out of an academic painting. Used as derogatory criticism of such painting, the picturesque was considered pretty rather than beautiful. knoll, playing games at a family picnic, or taking the kids to play at the park are as beneficial mentally as they are physically. The intrinsic nature of these activities creates feelings of wholeness that are difficult to produce indoors. And, there is no membership fee. Application--Try an outdoor fitness excursion--a no-sweat, non-strenuous outdoor excursion--that takes from 15 to 30 minutes. A pair of walking shoes walking shoes walk npl → chaussures fpl de marche walking shoes walk npl → Wanderschuhe pl walking shoes npl , an open mind and the outdoors are all you need to get going. The workout is simple. Begin with a walking base and explore the environment for tasks that challenge balance. 1. Walk for 15-30 minutes a day. Walking improves circulation and alleviates muscle tension. Start the workout by walking at an appropriate pace to warm up. 2. Be impulsive im·pul·sive adj. 1. Inclined or tending to act on impulse rather than thought. 2. Motivated by or resulting from impulse. im·pul and playful play·ful adj. 1. Full of fun and high spirits; frolicsome or sportive: a playful kitten. 2. . Look for objects in the environment (curbs, stairs, trees, park benches, etc.) That you can through, over and under. Try climbing over a park bench or doing stepping patterns on a set of stairs. Stop at a playgrounds and swing. Try things to challenge balance, agility and coordination, things you never imagined you would ever try. An adventurous ad·ven·tur·ous adj. 1. Inclined to undertake new and daring enterprises. 2. Hazardous; risky. ad·ven attitude is healthy. 3. Use physical cues to move efficiently. Do frequent posture checks. Call upon your balance centers to enhance body awareness. You'll use less energy to perform whether in sports, work or play. 4. Think positively. Make up one sentence that depicts the way you'd like to see yourself and say it over and over again. Something like, "My body is lean and strong" or "I am happy, healthy and productive." Whatever your self-actualizing goals are, positive affirmations work. 5. Stretch every day. Stretching feels good. Spend at least five minutes stretching at the end of your excursion excursion /ex·cur·sion/ (eks-kur´zhun) a range of movement regularly repeated in performance of a function, e.g., excursion of the jaws in mastication. . It helps you to relax. Increasing the elastic limits elastic limit The stress point at which a material, if subjected to higher stress, will no longer return to its original shape. Brittle materials tend to break at or shortly past their elastic limit, while ductile materials deform at stress levels beyond in your muscles and joints gives you flexibility to bounce back from emotional and physical stress. 6. It doesn't matter what other people think about you. As long as you are having fun, who cares that people on the street are watching you weave through parking meters or balancing on a curb. Step 4 Adjust Movements with Physical Cues The benefit of this workout is learning how our bodies move and how we perceive movement, statically and dynamically. We can apply this information to all types of activities from everyday chores to teaching aerobics classes. My theory is that we can teach people to become more body aware, and thus, more able to make all movements efficiently with balance. By constantly being aware of these physical cues, adaptation over time will promote life-long fitness habits and enhance wellness. * Body Awareness--Without having to think about it, you innately know where your limbs are in time and space, and in relation to each other; all physical cues work together to give you a feel for balance. Example: You are taking a step class. Normally, you work out on an eight-inch height. This time you decide to go up to 10 inches. Moments after you begin, you stub A small software routine placed into a program that provides a common function. Stubs are used for a variety of purposes. For example, a stub might be installed in a client machine, and a counterpart installed in a server, where both are required to resolve some protocol, remote procedure your toes on the step because you didn't clear the height. Your body was accustomed to eight inches. After a few moments of practice stepping to 10 inches, you develop body awareness to clear the step. Because of certain physical cues, you were able to recognize loss of balance and make a correction quickly. Here's an everyday activity example: You are driving the car with little Johnny in the passenger side. From the corner of your eye (visual acuity) you notice he's playing with the door handle. Immediately (agility), you must watch the road and continue driving (coordination), reach over without looking directly at the door and lock it. You guided your hand innately to reach the door lock. In both examples, your nervous system sent quick instructions about how and when to react to your limbs. Approaching the Inactive Market Making fitness happen for the inactive market is the biggest challenge we've ever faced as fitness professionals. Traditionally, our markets come to us. We develop fitness programs, teach them, and hopefully instill in·still v. To pour in drop by drop. in  stil·la tion n. life-long fitness habits. The inactive market is different. Making permanent lifestyle changes involves more than developing programs and teaching a good low-impact class. First, you have to attract them into the facility. You need to go out and get them. To develop the actual programs, think in simple terms of motion and change. have to be strenuous. Keep the process of acquiring "fitness" simple and fun. Tie in issues of family, happiness and personal strength to make inactive people identify with good health, vigor VIGOR Internal medicine A clinical study–Vioxx GI Outcomes Report comparing a proprietary COX-2 inhibitor to standard NSAIDs and self reliance. If each of us--as fitness educators--befriends and educates one person who doesn't exercise regularly, we will make a huge step toward making fitness happen. RELATED ARTICLE: Common Problems with Unbalanced Weight * Unbalanced close together * Standing too tall. muscles aren't in the ready position * Shoulders slouching slouch v. slouched, slouch·ing, slouch·es v.intr. 1. To sit, stand, or walk with an awkward, drooping, excessively relaxed posture. 2. To droop or hang carelessly, as a hat. v. forward * Head down * Holding breath * Abruptness exaggerated movements * Improper warm-up RELATED ARTICLE: Tips for Teaching and Program Design * Don't worry too much about the intensity, frequency and duration of an activity. That applies later with more regular exercise. Rather, focus on safety and appropriateness of the activity. Make sure it produces enjoyment and that it is something that can be done with no help. * Fifteen minutes is enough continuous activity. Soon 15 minutes turns into 30. Moments of activity are better than none. * Keep it light and simple--water and oxygen--the two most important elements that feed the nervous system. * Sell an image of feeling good instead of working hard. * If you work with kids, always invite the parents to participate; they'll do anything for their kids. * People enjoy listening to music--use their music, not yours to play with movement. * Trend-setting workouts are too complicated for the inactive. Appeal to their sense of ordinary and simple with no bells and whistles A slang English term for exceptional features in some product. In the computer field, it typically refers to functions in software that may be greatly appreciated by some users, even though they may not be necessary most of the time. . * Whenever you teach one new movement skill--from a specific stretch to a proper heel strike heel strike Heel contact The beginning of stance phase, at the point of heel strike there is zero reaction. Immediately after contact there is an ↑ in ground reaction, known as heel strike transient, which pre-empts the major ↑ in ground reaction in walking--you've encouraged adaptation and adjustment and done your daily duty to elicit change. * Encourage your regular class participants and private clients to invite one inactive person they know to do a fun, no-exertion workout. * At first, encourage participation. Then encourage personal best. * Make all activities non-competitive. * A "participate at your own pace" activity with social aspects is more appealing than a "keep up with the group" situation. * Take games like shuffleboard shuffleboard, sport in which players use cue sticks to push disks onto a scoring diagram at either end of a concrete or terrazzo court. The court is 52 ft (15.85 m) long and 6 ft (1.83 m) wide. The bases of the triangular scoring diagrams are parallel to and 8 ft (2. , croquet croquet (krōkā`), lawn game in which the players hit wooden balls with wooden mallets through a series of 9 or 10 wire arches, or wickets. The first player to hit the posts placed at each end of the field wins. and ping pong (1) A half-duplex communications method in which data are transmitted in one direction and acknowledgment is returned at the same speed in the other. The line is alternately switched from transmit to receive in each direction. Contrast with asymmetric modem. seriously. There are a lot of physiological benefits of playing those games. * Encourage schools to place emphasis on participation in life-long and individual sports like walking, golf and tennis. Football, baseball and basketball have their place, but how many people do you know who still play? * Always keep in mind limitations: time, financial, physical potential. Participatory decisions are made with considerations of immediate factors such as preference for possible companions, scheduling, habit, and weather. * Educate people who may not have worked out since high school or college that exercise technique has changed to be safer and more effective. Unless it's completely unsafe, don't try to change an old routine. Work with what they already know making small adjustments. * Ask lots of questions about current lifestyle and experiences. People decide to try new activities based on past experience and what they see and hear. * Assess limitations verbally, then physically. Warm up with normal movements like walking, standing and sitting. * Teach the four-step process for a nervous system workout, including physical cues. * Practice teaching in very small steps using small movements and muscles to develop small skills. * Teach moving from a position of stability, known as the ready athletic stance (feet slightly wider than hips, knees and ankles soft, chin up Verb 1. chin up - raise oneself while hanging from one's hands until one's chin is level with the support bar chin gymnastics, gymnastic exercise - a sport that involves exercises intended to display strength and balance and agility , eyes forward). * Provide a progression of movements for learning the new task through visual demonstrations and constant explanation. * Make instructions brief and concise. * Always introduce the simplest option for any task first. * Use the "guided discovery" teaching style * Teach participants to take responsibility for their own actions. You can do this by making tasks optional. They should not feel pressured to try something they are not comfortable with. * Participants who are not used to taking instruction, hastily hast·y adj. hast·i·er, hast·i·est 1. Characterized by speed; rapid. See Synonyms at fast1. 2. Done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash: a hasty decision. try new movements. Encourage them to watch, listen, then try a task. * Have no preconceived pre·con·ceive tr.v. pre·con·ceived, pre·con·ceiv·ing, pre·con·ceives To form (an opinion, for example) before possessing full or adequate knowledge or experience. goals other than movement for movement's sake. * Give immediate positive feedback for efficiency and injury prevention. * Stretching is within the capabilities of everyone. RELATED ARTICLE: Benefits of Nervous System Programming Ideally, a newly active participant would reap benefits of a strong heart and muscles. Before that point, here are some intrinsic benefits: * Social adaptability family interaction, being with friends, meeting new people with similar desires, sharing * Risk taking experimentation, stimulation, self-discovery, excitement, competence, personal expression, reinforcing self-image, and achievement * Change rest, escape from everyday pressures and routines RELATED ARTICLE: Benefits of a Nervous System Workout * Improved circulation * Self confidence * Posture control * Mood control * Relaxation * Pain therapy * Mental sharpness * Increased energy * Quickness * Stress reduction * Discipline * Balance * Family interaction * Adaptability * Self-expression * Skill development * Self-sufficiency * Environmental appreciation * Range of motion * Courage * Rhythm |
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